Sunday, April 6, 2025 - When listeners in northern Nigeria tuned into Voice of America (VOA) last month, many were met with music in place of their usual programming — a signal that, historically, hinted at a serious national disruption. “Was there a coup in the US?” one listener asked VOA journalist Babangida Jibrin, who recalled receiving a flood of worried calls after the US-funded station abruptly went off the air on a Friday.
According to AFP, the disappearance of VOA’s Hausa-language
service, once a vital link to international news for tens of millions across
West Africa, marks the impact of funding cuts implemented during Donald Trump’s
presidency. The now-shuttered Hausa service, based in Nigeria, reached
audiences in rural Ghana, Niger, and Cameroon, where traditional print media is
sparse and internet connectivity remains unreliable.
“People are now cut off from news, especially international
news,” said Moussa Jaharou, a listener from southern Niger. The service,
especially critical in conflict-prone and underserved regions, had offered not
just daily news but health information on diseases like HIV and malaria —
information that is now inaccessible to many.
Established during World War II as a counter to Nazi
propaganda, VOA expanded significantly during the Cold War. While funded by the
US government, it maintained a reputation in Nigeria for balanced, professional
journalism. But under Trump, accusations of politicization surfaced, and the
broadcaster’s budget was sharply reduced in his second term.
The closure is not the end of Hausa-language media — an
industry that still serves around 80 million speakers — but it is a significant
blow. VOA’s extensive network of local stringers had helped deliver trusted
information to hard-to-reach rural areas, offering a perspective not always
available through local outlets perceived as influenced by political or
business interests.
“It’s really, really a shame,” said Sadibou Marong, West
Africa chief at Reporters Without Borders, noting that VOA had maintained
coverage in volatile regions affected by armed groups, including areas where
other journalists were pressured to favor the military narrative.
The shutdown is being challenged in a US court. It comes as
global press freedom faces new challenges — Radio France Internationale (RFI)
has been banned in Niger, including its Hausa broadcasts, while the BBC has
faced a three-month suspension in the country.
Radio’s influence in northern Nigeria dates back to 1944,
when British authorities established stations in Kano to reach populations with
low English literacy. VOA Hausa, founded in 1979, tapped into this tradition,
airing on local partner stations and reaching millions in isolated areas.
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